How Choose a topic of interest, spend a little time researching it, have a discussion then publish the notes - which are available on the site to read along!

Why The main benefits are the fostering of a greater understanding of the world before we die and hopefully, to prompt further thought and discussion from our listeners.

The topic we will be discussing in this episode is Star Wars

Topic Overview

In the days where you’d wait to see something on telly as opposed to watching whatever you want, whenever you want (wherever you want), Christmas would be the time where there’d be a Star Wars film on. Bloody Star Wars. Everyone has seen Star Wars. The ‘western in space’. The film spawned a plethora of sequels some good, some awful and of course, the merchandise which according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is the most successful instance of toys, tat and geeky collectables sold off the back of a bunch of movies. And there’s a brand new one. It’s been impossible to ignore the military campaign of marketing and hype carrying ‘The Force Awakens’ and early reports (at least in my ear) are all positive and the box office has literally exploded. Could be because George Lucas isn’t in the driving seat. Could also be because three beloved main protagonists from the first salvo of films have reprised their roles. That’ll be weird seeing them all old. Am I ready to see a 60 year old Princess Leia in that sexy skimpy outfit?

Off-topic

What we’re not talking about

Dante’s Inferno

Talking Points

Each bullet is a talking point. Sub-bullets are topics that may or may not be covered. Usage: Read the bullet and sub-bullets then talk about some or all sub-bullets.

** This discussion will contain spoilers **

Let’s start with a general and personal experience of the films.

Movies

1977 Episode IV - A New Hope

1980 Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

1983 Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

1999 Episode I - The Phantom Menace

2002 Episode II - Attack of the Clones

2005 Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

2015 Episode VII - The Force Awakens

Worldwide box office takings for the movies alone as of Dec 18th 2015: $5,876,784,405. The Numbers

Best/memorable bits

A New Hope

Opening scene, size of star destroyer

Cantina

That’s no moon

Adoptive parents roasted

destruction of Alderaan

Falcon tractor-beamed into the Death Star

No medal for Chewie

The Empire Strikes Back

Keeping warm in a TonTon

Executor

AT-AT

Asteroid field

Return of the Jedi

Palpatine

Imperial shuttle

Forest speeders

Vietnam, Viet Kong

Celebration

The Phantom Menace

Jar Jar Binks

Lightsaber burning through door a la Forbidden Planet

Marine monsters

Podracing

Architectural sets

Queen Amidala’s ship, Nubian

Coruscant

Darth Maul fight scenes

Attack of the Clones

Bladerunnery city scenes

Clone planet

Yoda fight with Count Dooku

Revenge of the Sith

Opening sequence, chase through a space battle

Angsty, silent montage views of the city

Killed all the younglings

Aquatic cabaret

Yoda knocking out the guards

Rise of Vader

The Force Awakens

CGI

BB-8

Nostalgia, heavy dependence on prior scenes

Transitional phase

Similarity to Episode IV

Droid on the run carrying secrets

Young, desert planet orphan hero who pines for home and is unknowingly strong with the Force

piece of junk Millennium Falcon (easy to steal)

Mos Eisley

John Williams

Scriptwriter

Original actors

Planet killing super weapon, subsequent destruction by handful of fighters owing to one small vulnerability

Planeticide (Mundicide)

Trench run

Powerful, evil yet conflicted man in a mask

Cantina scene

Han/Obi’s deaths

Giant hologram of Emperor/Snoke

Derivation

Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress

Loads of other films, books, religions

Plot devices, themes

The Force, Midi-chlorians

Empire/Rebellion

Tech/Naturalism

Jedi/Sith

war

Taoism

Orphans

susurrating Klystron tubes

Slavery

Nazism

Special effects

Stop-motion animation

35mm Film not digital or even Imax for Awakens

Sound effects

Tie fighters, Airwolf

Green/blue screens

Wireframe graphics

models, props

CGI

Subsequent modifications

Jabba in A New Hope

Greedo shot first

How many more rebel ships attacking the Death Star?

explosion ring

Cloud city

Jabba’s palace cabaret

Sarlacc

Characters

Racial stereotypes

BB-8 Adorable robot

Boss Nass Gungan leader and Robert Mugabe/Idi Amin

C-3PO Adorable robot

Chewbacca Han’s dog/horse/parrot

Darth Vader Hitler

Ewoks Aborigines

Han Solo Lovable rogue, pirate/cowboy, drawl, waistcoat

Jabba the Hutt Italian mobster

Jar Jar Binks West Indian/African descended buffoon

Jawas Munchkins, Street rats, slavers

Kylo Ren A Goth Darth, bad-boy son of Han & Leia

Princess Leia Privileged yet spunky fairytale princess

Luke Skywalker Farmboy dreaming of adventure

Nute Gunray Japanese/Asian trade/property magnate

Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious The Devil, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

R2-D2 Adorable robot

Rey Luke reworked as a female, Luke’s daughter?

Tusken Raiders Middle-Eastern Muslims

Watto Hasidic Jewish diamond merchant

Yoda Buddha

Technology

Kylo Ren’s lightsaber with crossguards!

Cloud city

Light speed

Death Star “that’s no moon”

(This is true if the Death Star depicted in Force Awakens is the original.)

Lightsaber

Anti-gravity

Funny canisters on the backs of the Stormtroopers, much like the gas mask containers carried by the Nazi Stormtroopers. Helmets quite similar too.